Did I read that there was a worry about the font not being right? Is there someone at the Registry that knows what the font should be for a 40 yr old Datsun? Wow...

Ran into this with my old MG.  California DMV officer told me the firewall VIN is the "primary" VIN marking. 

The dashboard plate can be remade / replaced.   What's critical is that you make certain it's correct. 

If it's incorrect, that CAN be interpreted as your trying to change the VIN, and that could land you in jail...

Haha! That was me who mentioned that the font (of a tag made at a generic metal fab shop) would be different. If I were to look at a car and notice that the VIN tag wasn't the original one and I could tell that it was a repro because the font was different, it would raise all sorts of red flags for me. Explanation from the owner or not, I'd be concerned. I'm not sure if I would be less concerned if the tag was missing altogether. (As explained away by "I replaced the dash because it was cracked."

 

But here is the real issue:

I pretty much wanted it because it annoyed me that I didn't have it. Paperwork wise I should be good*knock on wood*.

 

Potholez doesn't NEED a VIN tag. He wants a VIN tag. And if he gets a repro with the wrong font, is that "good enough"?

 

I wonder if there are commercial letter/number stamps easily attainable for making better repros... I mean, they're obviously available somewhere to someone, but just wonder if they're available to the general public. Someone with good google-fu ought to look into that.

 

I got stamps, but I have the same ones that almost everyone else has.  
 

Haha! That was me who mentioned that the font (of a tag made at a generic metal fab shop) would be different. If I were to look at a car and notice that the VIN tag wasn't the original one and I could tell that it was a repro because the font was different, it would raise all sorts of red flags for me. Explanation from the owner or not, I'd be concerned. I'm not sure if I would be less concerned if the tag was missing altogether. (As explained away by "I replaced the dash because it was cracked."

 

But here is the real issue:

 

Potholez doesn't NEED a VIN tag. He wants a VIN tag. And if he gets a repro with the wrong font, is that "good enough"?

 

I wonder if there are commercial letter/number stamps easily attainable for making better repros... I mean, they're obviously available somewhere to someone, but just wonder if they're available to the general public. Someone with good google-fu ought to look into that.

 

I got stamps, but I have the same ones that almost everyone else has.  

 

 

 

Captain Obvious is correct, I don't need a plate I prefer to have it. Kind of bothers me not seeing a vin tag !

You could get a thin metal or aluminum strip and metal stamps from Harbor Freight and create a close facsimile.  As others have said, It is more for decoration since the real mccoy is on the front firewall.